Martin Odegaard set an unwanted record during Arsenal’s win over West Ham today when he was substituted for the third time in the first half of a league game this season. For a player of his importance, both to club and country, the development is concerning. The midfielder, who has been named in the Norway squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, now faces a nervous wait as his condition is assessed.
Odegaard appeared to suffer a knee problem, and his fitness struggles have become a recurring theme of the current campaign. Despite flashes of his best form, he has been hindered by knocks that prevent him from enjoying a consistent run. For Arsenal, who value his leadership and creativity, this is a potentially significant setback, particularly given the fixture schedule ahead.
Arteta’s Reaction
After the match, Mikel Arteta offered an initial update, but his words did little to ease concerns. The Arsenal manager said, as quoted by Metro Sport: “Well, I think he had a clash knee-to-knee, and immediately he was uncomfortable. I just spoke to him, he’s not positive about it, he’s got a brace on, we’ll have to wait and see from the doctors, but we haven’t been very unlucky with that either.”
The reference to a knee clash and the need for medical confirmation highlight the uncertainty surrounding the situation. Arteta’s admission that Odegaard himself “is not positive about it” suggests the player feels it could be more than a minor setback. For a footballer who has already endured two separate injury concerns this season, any further complications would be deeply frustrating.
Importance for Club and Country
For Arsenal, Odegaard’s absence would leave a considerable void. His influence extends beyond technical ability, as he is regarded as a leader within the squad and a central figure in Arteta’s tactical setup. His ability to link play and his composure in key moments have been central to the Gunners’ success in recent months.
For Norway, the prospect of losing one of their best players ahead of World Cup qualifiers is equally concerning. As a creative force and experienced international, Odegaard brings balance and authority to the team. His availability could make a major difference in matches that are crucial to their qualification hopes.
The coming days will provide clarity once medical assessments are completed, but for now, both Arsenal and Norway will be hoping that the issue is not as serious as first feared.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
Today’s injury was just really unfortunate, I wouldn’t think it’s due to being injury prone (in this instance at least), anyone could’ve got injured from a clash of knees like that, he just came off worse in a 50/50 sadly.
Yes losing Ødegaard is a worry because of his eye for a killer pass, but on the other hand when Zubimendi came on in his place we hardly missed Ødi. It just shows we now have strength in depth with two or more players for every position.
I’m not sure the story warrants the headline, that’s for sure. We know no more now than we did yesterday.
Just when the Norwegian was stepping up his game
So unfortunate
Arteta says this basically all the time. We’ll just have to wait and see. Hopefully just a contact injury and he’s back after intl.
He’s already pulled out of his National side.